Grade 3 and 4 African Drumming Workshop

As part of the BC curriculum for French, students are expected to study French-speaking countries around the world. Like Canada, there are many countries that chose French as one of their official languages. In Europe, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, and Luxemburg are the countries that come to mind when we think about French language; but did you know that Europe is not the place where French is the most widely spoken? It’s Africa! As a matter of fact, a lot of West African countries are French-speaking. As the Grade 3s are studying a play that takes place in Senegal, Africa, they learned more about Africa, its many cultures, wildlife, and art.

Africa is all about rhythm, dance, and warm energy. Our Grade 3 and 4 students were very lucky to get to experience some of the music with a special guest on November 8: Fana Soro. Fana is a internationally-acclaimed musician from Ivory Coast. He taught the girls how to play African drums, called “djembe”, and to sing a few songs in his native tongue. It was fun interacting with Fana in both French and English, and to laugh with him while discovering his culture. Merci Fana!